Aeroboat.



G. J. LAKE.

AEBOBOAT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1911.

, Patented 0st. 15,1912.

I manna-sum 1.'

v NILIIHUHHHIIIHHH ATTORNEYS c. J, LAKE. AEROBOAT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1911.

I v INVENTOI? U/zmsZb/flmr J Lake ATTOR/VEVJ WITNESSES:

me w mzz zwn n Tu STATES CHRISTOPHER J. LAKE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUTAEROBOA'IU Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15,1912.

Application filed January 27, 1911. Serial N 0. 605,141.

water, ice or snow and more particularly to ways and means-to enablesuch amachine to arise and fly up from the 'water, ice or snow into theairwhich constitute a valuable improvement upon the construction shownin my former patent of February 23, 1909, and numbered 913,515. Thedesirability of such a device is well known, andmuch effort hasheretofore been made to accomplish it, but owing to the great suctionand adhesion of the water to the ship, it appears thatthe greater thepower that .is applied on "the lines of present practice the greaterbecomes the suction and adhesion.

The main object of this invention therefore, is to obviate or alleviatethis suction by providing means for introducing and main taining a layeror body of air or gas between the water and the floatable bottom of theship with sufiicientforce and volume to repel the water from suction, 0radhesivecontact with the under surface of the ship, thus breaking thesuction and relieving the frictional resistance of the water, andwhereby greater speed is readily obtained; to auxiliate and supplementthe aerial propeller in the propulsion of the ship, by providing meansfor utilizing the waste energy of the exhaust gases from the motortogether with energized air projected in a current of elastic fluid thatis directed rearwardly between tlfie water and the bottom surface of thes 1p.

A further object is -to auxiliate and assist the planes of a ship inperforming their function of lifting and supporting the ship, by the useof rarefied and expanding air projected in the form of elastic fluidunder the ship while in motion; to provide means ,to enable the ship torun 'up' out of water upon and over ice and snow, and to ascendthere-from into theair orv tjolrun from ice or snow into .water withoutdanger of in jury to person or property, which obviously means a veryvaluable acquisition to the art of navigation and the saving of livesandv property in'times of drifting ice, and finally to "connect thewater and aerial rudders to ef fect a combined steering movement whenrun-ningjo'n the water, without the use of 1mdesirable extension of thewater rudder below thebottom of the ship.

invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in-theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out 1n the cl'alms hereto appended,it being understood that various changes in the form,

proportions, and size and minor details of construction within the scopeof the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Upon the accompanying two sheetsof drawin'gs forming ajpartof; thisspecification, similar characters of reference'will be found todesignate like or corresponding arts throughout the several figures, anof wh1ch proved shipcomplete, except that a part of the bow and sternare broken away to better show their construction.

Referring in detail to the characters of reference marked upon thedrawings 10 represents the body of the ship which as will be noted is ofthe usual general elongated shape 'though"provided with a fiat bottom.Immediately beneath the bottom or floor of the bow of the. boat Iprovide a compartment 11 that extends across the width of the boat,- andis-providecl with a contracted discharge opening 12 at its rear andlower end. A series of keels 13 extend along the central portion of thebottom of the ship from bow to stern in a way .to strengthen and supportthe bottom, and

more especially to form longitudinal channels 14 beneath the ship andintermediate of its bottom, and the water. The outer or side 'keels 15are formed slightly deeper than the .intermediate keels, but like thelatter run the full length of the ship in a Withithese and other objectsin view. the

way to properly support the edge portions I provided with an exhaustmanifold with an open air intake '17, in its forward end and throughwhich the air is conveyed past the several exhaust nozzles 18 from therespec-: tive cylinders and together conveyed through the pipe 19 to thecompartment 11 where the said exhaustand air is discharged and directedbeneath the ship through the several channels'in a way to not only tendto force the boat forward, but upwa'rd as well, producing a displacementof the ves-" sel in the water and lessening the resistance of the shipwhen in motion;

The two outer keels 15 are'each provided with arunner or shoe 20 uponwhich the forward portion of the ship rests and which together with therear runners 20,.'on"'rudders 21 pivotallyconnected to the body,

serve to support and guide the ship. when.

. the same is being operated on snowg'or ice. In addition to thefeatures befor'e 'described for lightening the welght of the ship upon.the water by the use ofjthe exhaust:

ases from the motor employedfto drive the s 1p, 1 provide a series ofairplanes so constructed and arranged as to coiiperate with the elasticfluid and further impart a lift- .ing tendency to the shipwliendriven athigh speed, and 1n fact whereby the ship -may be made to clear the waterentirely,

' thus making it possible to v rise from thewater into theair. Inconnection with the air planesl also. employ two adjustable ruddersone'of which is designed to raise and lower; the craft'while the otherpermits it-to -he guided to the right or left. This lattenirudder'isconnected to be 015-. erated simultaneously with the'rear rudders 21 andserves to'assist in directing the line of travel ofthe ship whether inthe water or upon thesnow or ice.

To the body of the ship is secured a frame. work 23 which includes aseries of vertical, crosswise and longitudinal braces that are formed ofpipe or wood, and serve to support the lateral steering rudder 22.

as well as the two main air planes 2& and 25 which as will be noted areinclined from front to rear in a way to tend'to lift the craft up whendriven rapidly against the air.

The ship as constructed isprovided with a single propeller 26 which ismounted upon a longitudinal shaft 27 journaled in the before mentionedframe 23 and provided with a chain 28 connected to the motor 18,.andwhereby the said propeller may be operated againstthe air very rapidlyto-drive the craft forward. a

The aerial rudder for raising and lowering .the ship consists of atriangular ,75 shaped jshieldhinged at 3.0 tothe frame, and having itsforward end connct'ed j with' a Tape 31 for raising and lowering asperdotted lines (see Egg-5.)] said-rope guide roll 32 and likewised'own andunder the lower rolls 33 and then f're arw a connect with the operatinglever 34 at 35 to a suitable part of the;, bod

ship. The rudders 21- 21. and; 2-533 nected. by ropes 36 secured to.{the '37 of the aerial rudder 22 and then X I v outand around the guideto1ls; 38', ;.tl;en Y down to the leverf39 which like the beforementioned lever 34 is pivoted intermediate of its length as at 40 sothat'a forward thrust of the said lever will throw the rudif ders to oneside while a reverse movement will throw them toward the other side.

From this operating lever 39 the ropes age carried rearward, one fromthe upper and the other from the lower end portion of the lever, anddirected around the guide rolls ll-located in each side of theboat andconnect'edEintermediate. of said guiderolls to the'operating or handleend of the rudders 21. inya way to insurethem moving together and;simultaneously {with they movement of the'lforw' rd lateral steeringrudder 22.

instant the motor is ,starte'di theijpropeller is rotated against theair in'a;way to force; the ship forward, the exh'aust gases from themotor together with. the airgf taken into the rearward under the bow ofthe ship and through the several channels thus giving the boat a forwardand upward impulse. Withthiscondition it will be apparentthat the willreadily rise therefrom and that the faster the ship is traveling, thegreater the blast of gas beneath the ship and consequently the greaterthe tendency of the ship to leave the water or ice dverwhich it mayv 120be traveling. 1

Having thus described my inventionwhat I claim and desire to secure byLetters'Pat-. ent, is-

combination with a ship, ofa motor contained therein, means for creatinga current of intermingled air and-gases by directing the discharge ofthe exhaust gases from the cylinders directly into and through a mixing139 being carried up, over and around a; central 50 v From t e foregoingit will lie-seen that the exhaust pipe is at the same time discharged 11o ship rests but lightly upon the water and 1. In a ship of the classdescribed, the

conduit, a conduit encircling the exhaust ports or outlets, and havingits initial end open to the atmosphere forward of the inlet classdescribed, of a motor for operating the same, an aerial drlvlngpropeller operatedby the motor, a single pipe from the motor to the bow.of the ship, having an open end at the motor to insure the exhaustdrawing in asupply of air and directingit beneath the bow, a closedcompartment in the said bow to receive the fluid, a series of fluidnected with the said closed compartment whereby the said fluid isdirected beneath the several channels-of said ship t'o lighten theweight of the same upon the water while the 1i1otor and propeller arebeing operated,

3; In a ship of the class described, the

combination with a ship, of a motor contained therein, an aerialpropeller operated by'the motor, air planes .to lift and support theship, rudders to guide the ship, means for creating a current ofintermingled air and gases bydirecting the discharge of the exhaustgases directly from the cylinders into and through a mixing conduitencircling the exhaust ports or outletsfsaid conduit havingits initialend open tothe atmosphere-forward of said inlet point of the discharginggases so that theprimary impulse of the escaping gases will lmpinge and,impel therewith a largevolume of air through the conduit, the other endof the conduit. directed to convey and discharge said intermingled airand gases under the I bot-tom of the ship.

4; In an air-ship of the class described, the combination of a series iflongitudinal channels arranged upon the under side of the ship, acompartment in the bow of the ship connected with said channels, meansfor creating a current of elastic fluid by the exhaust gases anddirecting it through said compartment and into-the several longi-'tudinal channels, an aerial propeller operated by'the the motor, airplanes which tend to lift the ship by the operation of the propeller,shoes arranged upon the underside of the ship," and rudders to supportand guide the ship and operate it upon ice or snow. channels arrangedbeneath the ship and con- 513 In a ship of the class described, thecombination with a motor, of an aerial propeller operated, thereby, airplanes connected to the ship which tend to lift the-latter by theoperation of the propeller, rudders coI 1 nected to the rear of theshipto direct and guide the same while operating in the water or uponthe ice, an aerial, rudder arranged 'upon the bow of the ship, means forconmeeting the said rudders with a single oper- .ating means wherebythey are simultaneously operated to guide the ship while eitherin thewater or in the air.

Signed at Bridgeport in the countyof liairfield and State of Connecticutthis 19th day of January A. 1)., 1911.

Witnesses: I

C. M. NEWMAN, RUTH M. W0RDEN.

, CHRISTOPHER J. LAKE,

